Change of Plans
by Iluna Sorgina Talis
Summary: HnKnA-sorry if situations or characters are different. FAIL SUMMARY BEWARE! Ron O'Dell plunges into Wonderland intending to rescue her friend Alice and bring her home. However, she finds that she needs to change her plans if she wants to help Alice get home and become a roleplayer-but what exactly is her role in the game? And what about her missing brother-is he still alive?
1. Gone

Donovan had been missing for two months when Alice was kidnapped. No one on Scotland Yard's investigative team could explain his disappearance (not that they could solve any sort of criminal case, the numbskulls , or give any clues as to who might have taken him. But then, my family couldn't shed any light on it either. My brother had no enemies-he didn't bet on the turf, play high-stakes card games, or take opium. My family was fairly well-to-do with no stain on our family name or old debts to repay. I didn't really have any enemies either-I didn't talk to people much to begin with.

Alice was my only true friend besides Don. As he once said, she was the sweet to my sour. I had laughingly agreed with him-I'm not the most pleasant of young women (I refuse to call myself a lady), even I'll admit that. I've often heard of a 'good cop, bad cop' routine down at the Yard and it describes our friendship perfectly. I'm the rough, tough cop that isn't afraid to get in your face to get the information I want. Alice tends to be more gentle about that kind of thing and beats around the bush a tiny bit. But when she gets straight to the point, she can be just as blunt as I am.

The day she was taken, I was sitting with her and her older sister in their family's garden. Alice had dropped off to sleep under the tree we were sitting by-well, I was sitting in the tree, leaning against the trunk with my hat over my eyes. I could feel the pins in my hair coming loose, but I didn't bother to fix them. I was feeling too lazy to do anything about it and, besides, I was getting a rare headache from all the pins I needed to give my long red hair the appearance of being cut like a boy's.

Glancing back down, I saw Alice's sister stand up. Alice, who had woken up, was protesting loudly to her as she walked away, but was being waved into silence as she disappeared in the direction of the house. "Where's Lorina going?" I called down to her as I began carefully making my descent from my perch. I was wearing Don's old clothing (again), which were much too big for me, and I didn't want to tear them up.

"She's getting a card game," Alice responded, rubbing her eyes tiredly. "I told her about an odd dream I had about some sort of game," she went on, "And she thought it meant that I wanted to play one." She sighed and hugged her knees into her chest as she gazed off in the direction her sister had gone. "I wish I was as pretty as her," she mumbled to herself. It had nothing to do with what she had just said to me, but I could tell that it had been on her mind as she talked with her sister.

"But you are pretty, Al," I protested, using the boy nickname I had given her. "You just can't see it because you have no one but your sister to compare with."

"And you," she said. "You're pretty as well-I'm sure you'd be drop-dead gorgeous if you dressed like a girl more often. I've only seen you dress like that a couple times." She had met with me when I was 12, which was about the time I realized that I could pull off looking like a boy pretty well. Seven years have passed since then, and she really had only seen me dress like my gender a few times.

"Four, actually," I said, releasing more pins with a shake of my head. "And you know that I hate wearing the stupid dresses women my age wear." I took out the rest of the pins and began restarting the process of hiding my hair. "I can hardly breathe in those stupid corsets, and I can barely move in the blasted skirts!" I complained.

Alice giggled at my vehement expression of disgust. "I don't think you're supposed to move, Ron." The nickname was a super-shortened version of Veronica, which I had shortened to Ronnie when I was about eight and then to Ron when I was 12. She went quiet for a moment, settling down to take another nap. I followed suit-I hadn't been sleeping well at all for the past few weeks, and a nap sounded perfect right now.

I didn't get the rest I wanted, however. As soon as I closed my eyes I dreamt about Donovan, kneeling in front of a cot with his hands clasped in front of him as if in prayer. His back was to me, but I could practically see the anguish and worry in his face just by the way his body was trembling. I tried to reach out to him to comfort him, but found that I had no arms to touch him with. I heard him choking back sobs as he screamed for me to wake up. He screamed his plea to me, not knowing that I was there. "Please, God," he cried, "awaken her from her slumber! Alice is-"

Another scream cut through the dream, shattering it into millions of fragmented pieces. My eyes flew open in horror when I realized that the screamer was Alice. Frantically looking around, I saw that she wasn't sitting next to me anymore. I jumped to feet, pulling out my miniature pistol from my pocket. I glanced left and saw Alice being thrown over the shoulder of a tall man in an overcoat-and he was running with her.

"Alice!" I screeched, my pelting towards them. The man glanced over his shoulder (the one not currently being occupied by my struggling friend) at me and I saw his lips form a curse. I personally would have chosen a stronger one if I was seeing an angry me charging towards myself, but that's just me. His spectacles glinted in the late afternoon sun as he ran faster. If he's going to run as if the devil's on his heels, I thought through gritted teeth, then I'll be more than happy to be the devil he runs from.

I fired at my friend's kidnapper, drawing another bullet from my vest pocket. To my dismay he merely dodged it, though how I couldn't say. He ran directly into the Liddell's garden, which seemed pretty stupid to me. I mean, why would you take your kidnapping victim into the middle of an open clearing where people could see you? I had loaded the other bullet by the time I had realized where he was going and fired off the new round. Again, he danced around the bullet, spinning around to face me with a rather pleased smirk.

As he did so, my brain finally made the bizarre connection that my eyes were trying to tell me-Alice's kidnapper had snow-white hair and rabbit ears on top of his head of the same my shock, I hesitated for a brief moment. This pause cost me a precious moment that I could have spent noticing that he was pulling out his own, much larger, pistol. Before I could move he fired his gun, and it was only because of old instincts telling me to move that I managed to avoid dying. He still clipped my left shoulder-okay, by clipped I mean shot. I screamed in anguish, sinking to my knees as the pain exploded through my entire body.

"Forgive me, boy," the man said coolly, "but I can't have you chasing after me, now, can I?" I was hurting too much to argue that I was actually a girl, but even if I hadn't been I still wouldn't have been able to answer, seeing as he turned and jumped down a massive hole that I hadn't noticed behind him. Alice had frozen in terror when his gun had gone off but when I had screamed she had gone back to thrashing and screaming. When he jumped her scream reached an even higher pitch than I had ever thought she could ever reach.

"No!" I cried, scrambling forward and thrusting out the hand that just a minute ago been covering my bleeding shoulder. A painful throb reminded me just why I had been covering it, but I ignored it. All I cared about was grabbing Alice's hand. She had flung her hands up and I grabbed at them-but I only managed to grab her fingertips, which quickly slid out of my hand. "ALICE!" I screeched.

"RON!" she wailed as she and her kidnapper fell further and further from sight. My arm slowly went back to cradling my wounded shoulder, but my eyes were still fixed on the abyss in front of me. I tried to breathe slowly and steadily to slow my racing heart. The bullet wound was bleeding badly, but the only thing on my mind had been the last few minutes-had they really only been minutes? It had felt like hours. Questions, half-formed and disorganized, churned inside of me like a soup of rage and confusion.

Who was the rabbit-man? What did he want with Alice? Why did he take her? And where did he take her?

By this time, Alice's family had come into the garden. The sounds of gunshots and screaming had drawn Lorina's attention, who had run back into the house to alert the staff and her parents. Seeing me bloody and ghostly-white kneeling next to an enormous hole seemed to confirm their fears that something terrible had happened. A doctor and Scotland Yard were called to investigate, while a pair of officers escorted me home. Normally I would have argued my way out of an escort but I was still in shock from the events that had just happened.

I was ordered bed rest for a month by my family's doctor, much to my chagrin. I did argue with him about that, but I won't bore you with the details. Needless to say, I lost that argument. Well, sort of-can you see the smirk I'm wearing right now? I bet you can. I managed to sneak out of my bedroom after I thought that my arm was sufficiently healed (note: when I thought that my arm was healed). I spent the next few weeks retraining my left arm so that it was up to its old strength. When I was finally declared healed, the doctor gave me a very annoyed look-he could tell that I hadn't followed his orders.

Honestly-when have I ever listened to orders like that?

As soon as I was given the go-ahead, I immediately ordered the servants to prepare a horse for me. I changed out of my bedclothes into Don's clothing and pinned up my hair, jamming my cap on my head. By the time I had skidded out front a horse had been prepared, as well as a saddlebag. I did a quick inspection-a change of clothes, some food, and a case of bullets. I smiled. The household knew me too well. The only thing left for me to do was retrieve some firepower.

I jumped on the horse and we bolted off, making a pit stop at the shed I had built with Donovan when we were little. Inside was an assortment of weapons that a proper English nobleman's son had to learn to use-and taught his little sister to use. I snatched up my fighting knives and slipped them into the sheaths in my boots. They were my favorite set, but I usually used my second-favorite to fight with. They weren't as decorative, or as sharp, but they were still very dangerous. I usually saved my favorites for when I really wanted to scare someone.

I pulled my crossbow down from the hooks mounting it on the wall and strapped it on behind me. I put the quarrels in my vest pocket where they would be within easy reach. And to complete my 'armed and dangerous' ensemble, I retrieved my pistol from the gun rack. If you're thinking about my pathetic miniature one, then stop those thoughts in their tracks. This was a Gustave Young Navy Percussion Revolver with a mother of pearl handle and engravings on the gun itself. It's a beautiful weapon, and very dangerous. It would do just as much damage as rabbit-boy's, I was quite confident of that.

I jumped back on the rather impatient horse (Can horses be impatient, you ask? Well, this one certainly can.) and we rode hard to the Liddell's garden. My heart was pounding in my chest, nervous tremors making my teeth chatter. What if the hole wasn't there? What if it was, and the rabbit man was waiting there to finish me off? And what if he wasn't -what was waiting for me at the bottom of that hole? Did I want to know? Was I even going to take the plunge? Would I even be ready to face whatever was down there?

The answer, by the way, to the last three questions was "Heck yes."

When we reached the clearing, I pulled the horse up short so I could get a better look at the hole. Yes, it was still there, as ominous as ever. Despite my fears, somehow I had known that it would be there. I jumped down off of the horse and ran over to its edge. Scotland Yard had abandoned it after not finding any evidence or clues to work with. Staring down into the gaping abyss, I briefly questioned my sanity. I waved the question away-I already knew that it was a stupid idea, which was why I was going through with it (story of my life).

I went back to the horse and snatched up the saddlebag, slipping the strap around my shoulders. After a brief consideration, I took a piece of paper and a pencil stub out of the bag and scrawled a quick note to my family. They'll understand, I thought to myself as I looked over my handiwork. It was a short letter, informing my parents that I was going to find Alice and that I didn't know when I'd be back. It included instructions for them to not go near the shed in the garden and a sentimental sentence about how I loved them and I would miss them. They won't like it, but they'll understand-I hope.

I stuffed it under the saddle and slapped the horse's rump, sending it galloping off back home. I watched it retreat for a moment before turning back to the hole. I stared down into it for another minute or so before I jumped off the edge into the darkness. As I fell, I made a silent promise. I would rescue Alice and bring her back home-if I couldn't do it for Donovan, I could do it for her.


	2. Arrival

I landed on the ground after a surprisingly short fall. I swayed on my feet, trying to regain my equilibrium. I had touched down in what seemed to be an abandoned courtyard. I looked around, trying to see if there were any people around I could talk to. After doing a complete circle on my toes I started the circle again, doing a double take when I saw a person walk into my line of sight. As he drew closer I felt my stomach tighten slightly-the man didn't have a face. Well, not exactly. I mean, all I could see was his mouth, which was gaping in bewilderment at me.

He appeared rather frightened of me, and the feeling was mutual. Even though he had no eyes, I could tell that he was regarding my weapons with a considerable amount of alarm. I cleared my throat, making the poor man jump. "Hello," I called to him, pitching my voice lower than normal. My voice is already pretty low for a girl, so it didn't take much effort for me to sound like an adolescent boy. "Could you tell me where I am? I...uh..." I rubbed the back of my neck awkwardly, playing up the story I was making up on the spot. "I'm kind of lost." Very creative, right?

The man stepped closer tentatively. "Who are you?" he asked quietly. "You don't look like one of the Faceless. Are you an Outsider?" He took a few more steps closer, appearing to squint at me. I got a better look at the clothing he was wearing-he appeared to be wearing a page's outfit, but there was something wrong with it. Finally, I realized that the uniform looked like a playing card.

I frowned slightly. "I'm looking for someone," I told him, avoiding the question completely. "I think she was brought here a few months ago. Her name is Alice, but I don't think-what? What's wrong?"

Alice's name had produced a strange reaction from the page. "You are an Outsider!" he gasped. "You're not a Faceless, or a roleplayer-you must be an Outsider!" He spun on his heel bowed to me jerkily. "Please excuse me, sir, but I must tell-oh, never mind!" He darted off again, this time without stopping to bow to me. I watched him go for a moment, briefly allowing myself a moment of pride that my boy-disguise had worked before panic set in and I turned and ran in the opposite direction. I didn't know if the person he was going to was friendly to foreigners-and I didn't want to find out.

My path had taken me into a wooded area I had seen during my first scan of my surroundings. As I ran I became more and more thankful that I had pulled my hair up. The branches and twigs that kept scratching at my face would have had me tangled up and swearing in annoyance. I emerged from the trees into a small clearing. I doubled over, gasping for breath after my hard run. I didn't know how far I had gone or how long I had run, but it had completely exhausted me. I reached out and leaned on a tree trunk, intending to sit down but froze when I felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.

Someone's watching me-and they're really close.

Trying to slow my breathing, I drew a quarrel from my vest pocket as I slowly brought my crossbow in front of me. My eyes darted from tree to bush and back again as I loaded it, pivoting slowly in a circle. I saw a dark shape lurking in one of the trees out of the corner of my eye and I paused to look at it. I edged forward, raising my weapon up to my eyes. The sharp 'snap' of the cock echoed through the clearing, somehow managing to silence all noise with that one sound and still any movement in those woods.

"Are you going to shoot me?"

I jumped when I heard the voice-hey, I hadn't expected it! Well, I had expected it from the place it came from, but hearing the shape speak had startled me. "Possibly," I replied coolly in my boy's voice, my aim unwavering, "if you don't stop skulking about."

"But where's the fun in that?" the shadow asked, stretching lazily on its perch. "I think it's more entertaining to sneak around." In response, I fired off my quarrel where the shadow's head would have been, snatching up another quarrel as soon as I had pulled the trigger. The shadow went rigid and still and I caught a glimpse of wide golden eyes.

"True," I said with a grin, "it does make hunting you down a bit more fun. But I'm not in a gaming mood right now," I told him, my grin disappearing. "That first shot was a warning. Come down here before I release a second one." The shadow disappeared from view. I cautiously approached. the tree, tightening my grip on my crossbow. As I drew nearer, an upside down boy suddenly swung down from the branches, grinning broadly at me.

"BOO!"

"Bloody-!" I gasped as I stumbled backwards. The boy flipped onto the ground, laughing so hard that he could barely stand. I leaned against another tree, clutching at my racing heart as I tried to slow it down-again. I glared at the boy, tugging my cap lower over my eyes sullenly. "That was not funny," I growled at him.

"You should have seen your face!" he cackled, sitting up and wiping away tears of mirth with the fuzzy pink scarf around his neck. "That was priceless!" He tried to say something else, but after taking another look at me he fell into another laughing fit. Even his twitching tail seemed to be laughing at-wait a minute, a tail?! Taking a closer look I saw that, sure enough, the laughing boy had the ears and tail of a (rather pinkish) cat. His style of dress, however odd it was, seemed to accentuate his cat-ness right down to the collar around his neck.

"Glad one of us found it amusing," I sighed, removing the quarrel and stuffing it back in my pocket. I swung my crossbow over my shoulder onto my back again as I walked over to him. "What's your name, kitty-boy?" I asked him.

The boy stopped laughing and glared up at me. "Don't call me kitty-boy," he hissed, his ears standing up indignantly. His tail weaved to and fro as if I had personally offended it instead of the person it was attached to. He sat up straighter. "My name's Boris."

"Got a last name, Boris?"

He sighed, raising his eyes to the heavens. "Fine. I'm Boris Airay. I'm the Cheshire Cat." He stood up and folded his arms across his chest. "And what about you? I don't think I've seen you around before. I'd remember a temper like yours." The jibe was probably supposed to make me more defensive, but in truth I was proud of my temper-in my opinion, it marked me as a true redhead.

"The name's Ron," I said with a sarcastic bow, "Ron O'Dell. And I am a normal human, thank you very much." Boris opened his mouth to say something but I cut him off. "I'm looking for someone around here, and I'd like to know if you've seen them."

Boris peered at me curiously. "I'm someone," he said with a grin. "I haven't seen a mirror all day but the last time I checked I saw my reflection looked pretty handsome." He said it in a jesting manner, the way two men would brag about themselves back home. Once again I was happy that I could pull off my boy disguise so well-otherwise it would have been much more flirtatious.

I allowed myself a chuckle. "Well, you are a someone," I told him, "but you're not the someone I'm looking for. They're not exactly from around here," I said vaguely.

"Aw, come on, man!" Boris protested. "You're holding out on me! Who're you looking for?" he asked, his golden eyes glowing with curiosity. The phrase 'curiosity killed the cat' danced on the tip of my tongue, but I decided that it would be best to keep it to myself. After all, I didn't want to lose the chance of free help because of a smart-aleck comment.

"Like I said, I don't think you'll know her," I warned him, "but I guess I could tell you." I sighed. "Her name is Alice Liddell. She was kidnapped and brought here a month ago. She has brown hair and blue eyes, she's about this tall-"

My description had caused yet another odd reaction. Boris' ears had slowly flattened against his head and his tail went stalk straight. He narrowed his eyes and crept forward slowly. I didn't like the way he was glaring at me-my hand instinctively twitched towards the handle of my gun. "How do you know Alice-" he purred dangerously, pausing when he glanced down at me. "-Shorty?" he finished, his lips twitching slightly.

It was my turn to glare at him, which I did with great pleasure. "I'm only an inch or two shorter than you," I grumbled. "But, referring to your question about how I know Alice, how do you think I could possibly know my best friend?" I gave him a moment to consider this. After a moment or two his eyes widened and I could see the word the page had used for me dancing on the tip of his tongue. "Yeah, I'm an Outsider," I snapped, taking off my cap carefully so as not to release any pins. "Got a problem with that, kitty boy?"

* * *

"So, you're friends with Alice, right?"

I looked up from the juicy green apple I had been about to bite into. It was a stroke of good fortune that I had found the apple-I had expected to find it a sticky pulp from being jostled around so much. "What do you mean?" I asked him, a bit confused, before biting a piece off with a satisfying crunch.

Boris looked a bit uncomfortable. "Well," he said slowly, "I mean that you're just her friend, right? Nothing else?" He was playing with the chain attached to his collar awkwardly.

"Well," I said, still confused, "I consider myself her older brother, if that's what you mean." I took another bite of apple. "My brother and I," I continued, speaking around my bite, "call her our baby sister. She's closer to my age, sort of, so we're a bit closer." I swallowed and brought the canteen of water I had found in the bag up to my lips.

Boris's expression relaxed slightly, but not by much. "Really?" I nodded, tilting the canteen back to take a sip. "So, you two aren't together in any way?"

WHAT?

I choked on my water, coughing and spluttering on what had made it down my throat. "NO! Dude, that's just weird!" I gagged at him. "I just said that she's like my sister! Blech!" I was very tempted to blow my own cover and tell him that I was a girl, but the temptation quickly vanished. I didn't want to reveal myself so quickly.

Boris smiled, relief evident on his face. "That's good to hear. But I've got to warn you, if you go around saying you're looking for her then people will think you're her boyfriend or something." A slight dusting of pink came upon his cheeks and I filled in the blanks that he was silently supplying. Like the way I did for a second or two.

"Then I'll just say that I'm her brother," I said simply, capping the canteen and putting it back in my bag. Boris glanced at my face, his disbelieving expression reminding me that I had absolutely nothing in common physically to my friend. "I got my looks from my dad," I suggested, drawing ideas out of thin air. "He and I get teased because we're the only redheads in the family." I was totally making this up-while it was true that I was the only one in my family with red hair, it wasn't because of my dad. I got it from some distant grandma I had only heard stories about.

"Bravo," Boris drawled. "You think really well under pressure." I ignored the comment, focusing on packing up. I stood up, shoving the last bit of my apple in my mouth as I swung my bag over my shoulder. "Leaving already?" he asked, watching me strap my crossbow back on-I had taken it off when I sat down to eat.

"Yep-as soon as you tell me where to find Alice."

Boris frowned, stuffing his hands in his pockets as he stood up as well. "She's at Blood Dupre's mansion," he grumbled to the ground. "He's the mafia boss here in Wonderland," he said with a rueful grin, "but that doesn't seem to bother her." I couldn't see how-just the name of the guy sent shivers down my spine. I nodded calmly, forcing my frantic thoughts to the back of my mind. My best friend is staying with a guy named Blood? And he's a freakin' mafia boss?

"Blood usually sends Dee and Dum, the Bloody Twins, to patrol the front gate. You'll probably want to watch out for them," he said sarcastically. Bloody Twins? What kind of place is Alice staying at?! "Elliot might be a problem too," Boris added as an afterthought, tapping a finger against his chin, "but he's usually doing stuff for Blood, so he shouldn't be a problem." He grinned at me. "Are you sure you want to go there now?"

"Duh," I snapped at him, clenching my hands into fists. "Just point me in the right direction." I let a smirk creep onto my face. "And you don't need to tell me to worry about those twins you spoke of-someone should tell them to worry about me."


	3. Finding a Friend

Boris' shortcut through the woods had proven very useful to me, despite all the brambles and branches in my way. I soon found myself on the outskirts of the woods in practically no time at all. I emerged from the trees in front of a _humongous_ mansion-and trust me, I've seen some pretty big mansions and manors in my time, so I know what I'm talking about. I probably would have marched right up to the gates if it hadn't been for the two boys lounging out front. They each carried a large axe in their hands, each glinting dangerously.

_Definitely don't want to get got by one of those beauties_, I told myself as I hastily retreated behind a rather large tree stump. With my back to the trunk I pulled a case of bullets out of my bag. Resting the bag on the ground I loaded the bullets into my pistol with slightly unsteady hands. I'd face two armed opponents before-but their weapons hadn't been axes. I cocked the gun, wincing at the loud noise. Peering cautiously around the tree, I saw the twin boys look around lazily. After a tense moment, I put my pistol back in its holster. Taking a deep breath I stepped out of the woods.

"Look, Dum," the boy in blue said to his brother, "a visitor just came out of the woods." They both watched me curiously, standing straighter as I approached.

I stopped a few feet away from them, keeping my features arranged in a calm mask. "I was told that Alice was staying here," I said, my voice level and unafraid. "I was wondering if I could talk to her." I kept my arms loose at my sides, making sure my stance was non-threatening and at ease. It was a trick I had learned to not only keep myself calm but also my opponents.

The twins looked at each other, identical expressions of surprise on their faces. "The stranger knows Big Sister, Dee," the red twin whispered not-so-quietly to his brother.

Dee nodded. "But we don't know if she knows him," he pointed out with a sweet smile that sent shivers down my spine. I instinctively reached for my gun, my danger senses tingling ominously.

"Let's save the trouble of asking her, shall we?" they said in deadly unison, swinging their axes at me. My fear was immediately replaced by instinct-I dodged the blades with only centimeters to spare. They swung again, this time at my legs, and I flipped backwards. I lost my hat in the process but luckily my pins stayed firmly in place. I drew my pistol, firing a very disappointing shot that only managed to get Dee's hat. I prepared to shoot again as the twins rushed at me.

"Stop!"

My finger had been tightening on the trigger when the voice called to us. Dee and Dum froze, identical looks of guilt on their faces. They slowly turned to face the owner of the frantic cry as she ran towards us. I straightened up, keeping my finger on the trigger but pointing the barrel of the ground to the ground.

"Dee, Dum, what have I told you about attacking random passerby?" she scolded, resting her hands on her hips. She glared at them, the look in her eyes saying that she demanded a response.

Dee and Dum shrugged. "But he says he knows you, Big Sister," they chorused, "So he isn't random at all!"

"We would have asked you if it was true-" Dee said, glancing at me.

"-but we didn't know where you were!" Dum finished, also looking in my direction. I ignored them both, taking a closer look at the brown haired girl. I couldn't believe it-Alice was standing right in front of me!

"He knows me?" she asked curiously. She looked over their shoulders to get a better look at me and did a double take. She gasped and her hands flew up to her mouth. "D-d-Donovan?" she squeaked, slowly dropping her hands.

She thought I was Donovan? I threw back my head and laughed, finding the idea extremely amusing. "Wow, I guess I look more like him than I thought!" I gasped, trying to contain myself. "Alice," I chuckled, "it's me, Ron!" I slipped my gun back in its holster as I walked towards her.

Her blue eyes widened. "Ron?" she breathed, stepping around the very confused twins. I nodded, still grinning at the prospect of me looking like my brother. Then she smiled too. "I should have known," she giggled. "Don has brown hair, not red!" She threw herself at me, hugging me tight. I hugged her back, the both of us laughing at her mistake and the joy of seeing each other again.

"So," Dee and Dum said suspiciously, "you do know him, Big Sister?" They cast my jealous looks as we faced them, my arm still around Alice's shoulder.

"Of course she knows me!" I said quickly, tightening my grip on her shoulders just a little bit. "She's my baby sister!" Hopefully the quick pressure had warned her not to contradict my half-truth. Hey, while she really isn't related to me, she is like my sister.

"Oh," Dee said, relaxing a tiny bit, "then that's okay."

Dum squinted at me. "But you don't look like her at all," he pointed out.

"Ron's the oddball in the family," Alice supplied. "She doesn't look anything like the rest of us." I tried to hold back a smile-she had caught on really quickly. "Come on, _big brother_," she said, grabbing my hand and pushing past the twins, "I'll show you around the place." She pushed open the gate and pulled me after her, despite my protests that I needed to retrieve my hat.

It wasn't until she had pulled me inside the massive house and shut the door behind us that she stopped pulling me. She dropped my hand and turned to face me, her blue eyes swimming with tears. I silently opened my arms again and she hugged me again. "I've really missed you, big sister," she said in a quiet voice.

I tightened my grip on her-after all those weeks not knowing what happened to her, it felt so good to actually see her, to know that my best friend was safe. "I've missed you too," I whispered back. "It's been really lonely without someone like my little sister to talk to." I took her by the shoulders and pushed her back so that I could see her better. "You got taller," I noted in surprise. I could have sworn that she had been up to my chin, but now she was almost to my nose.

Alice grinned, stretching up onto the balls of her feet. "I'm as tall as you if I stand like this," she snickered. Smirking, I stretched up onto my toes. This made me taller than her once again, much to my amusement and her chagrin. "Show-off," she muttered good-naturedly, shrinking down again.

I laughed as I returned to the ground as well. "So, how's life been treating you here?" I asked as we began to walk down the hall. "The last time I saw you you were being kidnapped by some rabbit-eared psycho. I haven't seen any sign of him."

"Don't remind me," Alice groaned with a shudder. "I've been doing pretty well actually-except for when he glomps me." I gave her a confused look-glomp? "He jumps out and practically tackles me as he's hugging me," she explained, wrinkling her nose. She glanced over at me and giggled when she saw me faking a rather realistic irritable twitch. "One of these days you're going to be around when he does it," she told me. "I really want to see how many bruises he walks away with." She winced. "Oh, that was harsh, wasn't it?"

I shrugged. "Whatever you say-I think he'll deserve it. And who said that I was going to let him walk away anyway?" I teased. "Maybe if he asks me nicely I'll let him limp away-then I'd be letting him off easy."

Alice rolled her eyes. "If you say so, Ron." Suddenly, her eyes went wide as a lurking worry rose up in her eyes. "Uh, Ron," she said slowly, "just how did you get to Wonderland?" Her anxious expression made my stomach twist slightly.

"I came down the hole your kidnapper pulled you into," I responded warily.

"No, no," Alice said with a shake of her head. "I mean, did you come of your own choice Did anyone bring you down here?" It was my turn to shake my head, which I did with pride. No one was going to drag _me_ down a strange hole without a fight. Her expression became a little less anxious. "Have you eaten anything from here?"

Again, I shook my head, bewilderment and a hint of fear twisting my knotted stomach even more. "The only thing I've had is an apple from my own backpack. I've only been here a little while." I narrowed my eyes at her. "Why do you ask?" She didn't answer, just bit her lip and looked down at the ground. "Alice," I said in a warning voice, "What aren't you telling-"

_Click._

I froze as the click of a gun being cocked fell on my ears. The sound traveled down my spine and raised the hair on the back of my neck. I hated hearing that sound when I wasn't expecting it-it made me feel so vulnerable, even if for a moment. Turning slowly and positioning Alice behind me with one hand, I drew my own weapon and pointed at the very angry-looking man glaring down the barrel of his own gun at me.


	4. Meeting the Boss

The first thing that came to my mind when I saw the man was not relating to his level of attractiveness, or the size of his gun (though that last thought did briefly cross my mind). Actually, the first thing I thought after seeing him was something along the lines of _He has blonde rabbit ears_. Then my mind circled back to the size of his gun, and that thought was quickly followed by the understanding that he wasn't afraid to put a bullet through my skull. In response to that thought, I aimed my gun directly at his chest, right where his heart was. "Who are you, Outsider?" he growled at me.

"Sorry, but my name isn't 'Outsider'," I quipped in a sarcastic voice. I would have rolled my eyes to add effect, but I didn't want to look away from where his finger was curled tightly against the trigger. "You have two more guesses." I was on high alert but kept my manner easy-going, appearing to borderline on relaxed and bored. Alice tried to say something but I gently nudged her shin with my heel to warn her to keep quiet.

The rabbit-eared-scratch that, I meant _hare_-eared (they were too long to be anything but a hare's ears)-man smirked at me. "Unless you tell me exactly who you are, your name's going to be 'Dead Meat' in a minute." He was just as calm as I was, but I could tell that it wasn't a front. Why would someone pretend to be at ease on their own turf with a familiar weapon in their hands? Especially if they were comfortable using that weapon to-

I shrugged the thought aside, using the motion to communicate that I really didn't care about what he had just said. "I've been called less creative things before," I told him. "Like 'Roadkill', 'Swiss Cheese', and I was even called 'Saint Ron' once." Alice groaned-she had caught the bad pun, unlike Hare-man. I let a smirk appear on my face. "Of course, he ended up more 'holey' than me, so he was the one promoted to sainthood in the end."

"Okay, Ron, that's enough," Alice said loudly, jumping out from behind me before I could stop her. "You may kill him with your bad puns before either of you start shooting." She turned to my opponent. "Elliot, please put down your gun. I'd really prefer if you _didn't_ shoot my brother."

"I'd prefer it as well, thanks very much," I muttered.

Elliot frowned at her. "I'll put mine down once he puts down his," he growled, but I saw his arms lower a few centimeters. _I hope he understands that he just opened up a target by doing that,_ I thought in bewilderment. _Not that I'd shoot with Alice standing in front of me, but still..._ Alice looked back at me, raising an eyebrow pointedly.

"Deal," I sighed reluctantly, twirling my weapon around my finger before sticking it back in my holster. Elliot did the same, though without the fancy trick. "Now, I suppose that it's only fair that I tell you my name since Alice indirectly told me yours," I said, moving around my relieved friend and approaching Elliot with my hand outstretched. "My name's Ron. I'm Alice's brother," I fibbed.

"Elliot March," he said looking down at me warily. As he accepted my hand it struck me just how much taller than me he was. I was 5'8" at least-he had to be around 6'4". He released his firm grip and looked over my shoulder at Alice. "We should take him to Blood," he told her. I felt my teeth trying to meet my bottom lip but refused to introduce them. I wasn't about to show anxiety in front of the person that had just tried to shoot me mere moments ago.

Alice walked up behind me and slipped her arm through mine. Elliot's eyes narrowed dangerously when he saw this, but Alice didn't seem to notice (or she ignored it altogether). "Let's go," she said. Elliot continued to glare at me, his look clearly saying that I was lucky I was Alice's 'brother' or else he wouldn't have stood for that. _Then he can take it sitting instead of standing,_ I thought sarcastically, tempted to whisper that to him as we passed. However, now was not the time-I'd get him later.

The walk to Blood's room (or study-no one really told me exactly where it was we were going) was very quiet. Elliot seemed too irritated to speak to either of us, and Alice was just unusually silent. I made no effort to make conversation-my thoughts were still lingering on our interrupted conversation. From the questions she had asked me, I presumed that eating the food from this place would keep a person trapped here. _Like Persephone and Hades,_ I thought. _But, that could make Alice Persephone and her kidnapper Hades..._ I tried not to dwell on that idea too much.

"We're here," Elliot announced curtly, stopping in front of a mahogany door. "Stay out here while I talk to him," he said to the two of us as he opened the door and walked inside. I strained my ears to ear what was going on inside, but with no luck. All I could hear was a low murmur of conversation-I couldn't even pick out individual words. I glanced over at Alice, who shrugged sympathetically at me. I could only guess that meant she'd tried that once before. After another minute or two, the door opened and Elliot beckoned at us. "He's ready," he told us.

Alice gave me a reassuring smile before tugging me inside. As she led me to Blood's desk (by now I had gathered that it was a study) I tried to make myself completely expressionless. However, as we drew closer I found myself frowning at him slightly. I recognized him-at least, I thought I did-and I didn't like it. He was the spitting image of Alice's former boyfriend, a man I highly distrusted and, to be completely blunt, hated intensely. _I seriously doubt that they're the same person,_ I told myself. _But still-I don't think I can trust this guy, not with that face._

Hey, you wouldn't trust him either if you knew what his doppelganger was like.

"So," he said smoothly, leaning back in his chair and steepling his fingers together, "you are Alice's brother." It was not a question, but a rather unpleasant-sounding statement. "Ron, was it?" I didn't like the way he was looking at me-I could read absolutely nothing in his gaze, which bothered me. Normally I can read people pretty well, but Blood was doing a wonderful job at keeping himself practically inscrutable. _Now you know how other people feel around you when you do that,_ an annoying little voice said. _Oh, shut up, you!_ I snapped back. _Stupid inner voice..._

"Yes," I responded coolly, keeping my answer short and blunt. Blood smiled at me, watching me with amusement in his cold blue eyes. After a moment or two he chuckled, shaking his head and smiling like I had just said something completely and utterly ridiculous. "Have I said something funny?" I asked quietly, letting annoyance color my voice slightly.

Blood stopped chuckling long enough to smirk at me. "Oh, I'm not laughing at you. Well," he continued, "maybe a little, but I'm actually laughing at my subordinate." He smiled at Elliot as he said this, but it was the kind of smile I would give to a particularly dull police inspector (which would be practically all of them). "Elliot, have I told you lately how incredibly slow you can be?"

Elliot looked a little confused and a bit hurt at the insult. "What the heck are you talking about, Blood?" he asked heatedly. "And what does this have to do with Ron?"

Blood ignored him, turning his attention back to me. "Is Ron short for anything?" I said nothing, and he raised an eyebrow. "No? What about Ronald?" Again, I gave him no response. Blood leaned forward and I saw a crafty glint in his eye-I leaned back slightly, more out of wariness than of habit. "Well, how about _Veronica_? A pretty name for pretty girl like you."

Alice squeaked in surprise and Elliot jumped, his head snapping in my direction. I could only stare at Blood in shock. How had he known? I had fooled five people into thinking that I was a boy, plus my best friend who'd seen me dress this way a thousand different times. I could even fool my own parents at first glance if they were truly distracted-so, how had he guessed? I drew myself upright, intending to protest, but the look on his face told me he was itching for that kind of response. He was going to humiliate me by pointing out flaws in my disguise.

_Well, there's no way that I'm going to give him that satisfaction._ "You're right," I said, forcing myself to stay in my straight-backed position. I refused to sink down in defeat-I wanted to look like I had intended to confess as soon as he had accused me. "I am actually a girl." Elliot gawked at me, and even Blood looked surprised, but I knew that was because he hadn't expected me to own up. "My name is short for Veronica." I hid a smirk when I saw the frown on his face-I had done the exact opposite of what he had anticipated, and I could tell that it annoyed him.

"Then," Elliot said, "you're actually Alice's sister?" Blood rolled his eyes and glared at him. I could practically hear the puzzle pieces snapping together in his head. His eyes went wide and he stared even harder at me. "You're not even related to her at all!" _Took you long enough_, I thought with a quiet sigh.

"No, she's not," Alice admitted, hugging me sympathetically. She could tell that Blood's perceptiveness had shaken me up a bit. I gave her a smile, silently thanking her. "But we're so close that we just call each other sisters."

"I see," Blood murmured, giving me another of his analytic glances. "And I presume that you've come to take your friend back to the world you came from?"

_Why on earth did I think that he was the twin of Alice's ex?_ I thought wryly. _He was slower than molasses in January-Blood's got me pegged, which I_ really_ don't like._ "She was taken from our world against her will," I told him. "I promised myself that I would find her and bring her back home. Now that I've found her," I continued, nodding at Alice, "I'm going to find a way to get us out of here and back to our world."

"A noble idea," Blood said smoothly, a knowing smirk on his face. "But sadly, it's an impossible task." He smiled wickedly at Alice as he said this. "Isn't that right, my dear?"

I felt my blood turn to ice at his words. My interrupted conversation with Alice returned to the forefront of my mind with a vengeance. "What do you mean?" I murmured, my hands clenching to fists.

"Ron," Alice whispered, "I can't leave Wonderland just yet." I turned to face her, my irritation showing plainly on my face. She took a calm, steadying breath. "When I first got here, Peter gave me a potion that would keep me here. Peter's the one who kidnapped me," she explained quickly. She then proceeded (nervously) to tell me the conditions for her to get back home, her voice getting softer and softer as my anger grew and grew.

"As you can see," Blood said, "your dear friend is stuck here for a little while longer." I glared at him, itching to wipe that smug grin off of his face with the back of my hand. "Now," he continued, his manner becoming similar to a salesman's, "I am going to give you two options. The first is that you find a way back to your world without your friend-"

"Over my dead body."

"That can be arranged, you know," Elliot muttered.

I frowned at him over my shoulder. "Oh, shut up, Triggy," I growled, folding my arms over my chest. Alice giggled and Blood's lips twitched a little bit. Elliot blinked at me, confused. I sighed and turned to look at him. "It's short for 'Trigger-Happy'," I translated. "I think it suits you." Elliot's face flushed angrily, and he spluttered a retort.

"On that note," Blood said firmly, steering the conversation back to the original topic, "I still have a second offer." I stayed quiet, waiting for him to continue. "Considering how attached you and Alice are to each other, I can let you stay here and work here with Alice until she fills up her vial again."

I pretended to think about it, but my decision was already made. As much as I didn't like or trust Blood, I knew that the only way I could stay with Alice was if I worked for him. It was a much better alternative than going back home without her and worrying about what was happening to her. And, now that I thought about it, I really didn't know _how_ to get back home. "Deal," I said, thrusting out my hand. He grasped it, and we sealed the deal with what was slowly becoming a test of grips.

"Alice," Blood said, finally releasing his grip, "Veronica will be staying in your room for the time being-"

"It's Ron," I interrupted, massaging my hand. "Veronica's too stuffy. That's why I shortened it. I won't respond to Veronica anymore."

Blood rolled his eyes. "If you insist," he said sarcastically. "As I was saying," he continued, turning back to Alice, "_Ron_ will be staying in your room during her stay. I would ask you to show her where it is, but you still have chores to finish." Alice frowned, but didn't argue with him. She gave my hand a quick squeeze before she left the room. I wasn't sure if I liked the way she simply obeyed him without question. Blood looked over at Elliot. "Elliot, I'll have you take Ron up to Alice's room."

"What?!" I cried. "Why him? Why can't I just go run after Alice and let her take me there when we're done with her chores? It _is_ her room after all!" The only response I got from my-dare I say it-new boss was a withering look. I huffed irritably. "Fine, then," I said in an irritated voice, "as long as he doesn't try to kill me like he did just a few minutes ago."


	5. Settling In

**A/N: 'Allo, there! I thought that it would be nice to add a little author's note in this chapter because I've kind of forgotten to do it for the other ones...I know it isn't necessary, but I like it. ^ ^ Oh, since I'm here, I would like to give a shout-out to supersushicupcake for being awesome and commenting! :) Also, thanks to the 195 people (yes, I _am_ counting) who've read my story up to this point-please continue to do so, and give me feedback if you would be so kind. Anyway, carry on!**

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Elliot seemed determined to try and get me to say something during our walk to Alice's room. Now that he realized I wasn't a threat _and_ a girl on top of that (though I didn't see how that made me any less of a threat), he was actually much nicer. His demeanor had become rather cheerful and easy-going, though I still didn't trust him as far as I could throw him. He had only managed to get a few grunts and monosyllabic answers out of me so far.

"Geez, Ron!" he exclaimed, throwing his hands into the air in frustration. "Are you always this sulky? Or this untalkative?"

"Only around people I don't trust," I muttered, "or when I'm annoyed."

Elliot grinned at me. "Ha! I got you to say more than one word!" he crowed. I tried to glare at him but found my lips twitching up into a smile. He seemed so pleased with himself that I just couldn't help myself. "Hey, you smiled too!" he said, his eyes twinkling with glee. I snickered despite my irritation-it was kind of amusing, I had to admit.

"Yes, I am quite capable of doing both, thanks very much," I said. "I just choose not to very often." As I spoke I looked up directly into Elliot's face. My stomach suddenly plunged into the floor, leaving an odd tingling feeling in its place. I hadn't thought about it before (no, seriously, I hadn't, considering that I had been more worried about him killing me...), but he was actually kind of handsome.

His wavy, dark blonde hair came to just about his shoulders, and I noted again that his ears were the same color. But what really caught my attention were his eyes. I don't normally dwell on eye color (which is strange, considering that I make a point of looking people in the eye), but I found myself briefly ensnared in his dark violet eyes. I looked away from him quickly, glowering back at the ground. I had only looked at him for a few seconds, but it had felt like an eternity.

"Really?" Elliot asked, and it took me a moment to realize that he was talking about my comment about not smiling very often. "Not even around Alice? Of all the people to make you laugh, I'd think it would be your best friend." I knew that he was looking at me with bewilderment but I didn't look back up at him for fear of him seeing my burning cheeks. _Am I blushing? How embarrassing..._

I shrugged. "Most of the time she can," I admitted, "but on my bad days the most that she can get out of me is a twitch." I slipped my hands into my pockets, throwing my head back and observing the ceiling rather intently as we walked._ Don't look at him, don't look at him, don't look at him..._ "I haven't had much to smile about for the last three months though, so it's not really a big deal."

I saw Elliot look at me sharply out of the corner of my eye. Okay, okay, I admit it-I looked at him. "Has Alice been gone that long in your world?" he asked in surprise. "I knew that time flowed differently there, but still!"

"No, it's just been a month." I tilted my head toward him. "When Alice was abducted, my brother had already been missing for about two months. Like I said-hard to find stuff to smile about during that time."

"Ah, I see," Elliot said gently. "Were you two close? You and your brother, I mean."

"Yeah, we-" I stopped. Why on earth was I telling this to a complete stranger? And a stranger that I didn't trust on top of that? I frowned and glanced away from him again, focusing on the floor this time. "We are," I finished shortly, trying to make it clear by my tone of voice that I wasn't going to talk about it anymore.

Elliot was silent after that, and seemed to be mulling over this tiny snippet I had carelessly let slip. The silence dragged on and I could tell that he was trying to find a way to fill in the increasingly awkward silence. I didn't care-I liked the peace and quiet. My thoughts began to wander as I stared blankly off into space. It wasn't until Elliot tapped me on the shoulder that I came back to reality. "We're here, Ron," he told me as we stopped in front of a wooden door labelled "Alice's Room."

"I'm going to have to fix that later," I murmured, half to myself and half to Elliot, nodding at the sign. I grinned slightly to show him that I was joking, though it wasn't necessary. The amused smile on his face told me that he had heard the sarcasm in my voice. "Well, thanks for showing me the room , Triggy," I said, resting my hand on the handle.

Elliot rolled his eyes. "My name's _Elliot_, not _Triggy_," he groaned. Then he smirked at me. "Well, I guess if you call me Triggy, I can call you Pinhead because of the pins I see in your hair."

I frowned-I'd forgotten that I had pins visible if I wasn't wearing my hat. _Maybe that's part of how Blood figured it out,_ I thought to myself. "Then I'll call you Bunny Rabbit instead," I countered. I saw his face go red with anger. Success, I crowed to myself with a smirk. "I would call you 'Horrendous Hare' or something, but calling you a rabbit seems like more of an insult."

"I am NOT a-wait, did you call me a hare?" he asked, his eyes widening a tiny bit. "Y-y-you know I'm a hare?" The look of shock on his face was almost comical. It was like he'd never been called by his proper species before-well, _half_-species.

I gave him a very confused look. "Well, yes," I said slowly. "Your ears kind of helped me out. They're bigger than a rabbit's are, so..." He only continued to gawk at me, completely lost for words. I shifted uncomfortably. "Look, my brother was a huge animal lover when we were kids. He got very upset when I mixed rabbits and hares up, so I got it drilled into my head. I'm well-schooled in their differences now." I paused, thinking of something that could possibly of great embarrassment to him. "Do people usually call you a rabbit?"

Elliot nodded angrily. "I hate it-it's like they're associating me with that perverted rabbit," he growled. I saw his hand twitch reflexively up towards his holster. Out of habit I tensed up, prepared to draw mine if he drew his-though the likelihood of that happening was slim to none. "What I wouldn't give to kill Peter White," he muttered under his breath.

Perverted rabbit named Peter White. Yeah, it was the perfect name for a kidnapper. "Get in line, buddy," I hissed, pushing the door open and walking inside. "I got first dibs, seeing as it was _my_ friend he kidnapped." I slammed the door shut before he could argue, leaning against the solid wood for a moment as I listened to his footsteps disappear down the hallway. I heaved a tired sigh as I turned and observed Alice's room. It was a bit on the roomy side, but still had a cozy feel to it—perfect for my friend.

I dropped my bag on Alice's bed and gently placed my crossbow next to it. I rifled through my bag and pulled out the fresh clothes that the servants had packed in the bag. To my horror, I saw that there was only one pair of trousers, and they were much too small. The other two items of clothing were simple dresses that I recognized as my cast-off ones from last year. I reluctantly pulled out the darker one of the two, begrudgingly coming to terms with the fact that I was going to have to wear a dress until I found some more men's clothing.

_Marvelous._

Groaning, I slipped out of my clothing and pulled on the dress. I turned to face the mirror, wrinkling my nose as I gazed at my reflection. The dress fabric was a rich chocolate brown color that hung against my slender frame, emphasizing curves I normally tried to hide. I frowned—my earlier thoughts about the servants knowing me too well came back to taunt me. They knew I would need clothing, sure, but they gave me the wrong kind. I hated showing off my body, hence why I wore baggy boy clothing.

A lock of my hair was falling loose from its pin so I undid my entire mop, tossing everything into a sloppy braid and letting it fall against my back. I gave myself another once-over, critically eyeing my reflection. Even I will admit that I'm a pretty girl, but it's still weird to look in the mirror and see a girl staring back out at me instead of a boy. The only thing I liked about my reflection at the moment was the way the color of the dress brought out the purple instead of the blue in my eyes-if I honestly had to choose one thing I liked about myself, it would be my eyes every time.

A laugh from outside the open window caught my attention. I walked over and peered down, looking around for the source. I saw Alice putting up some clothes on a clothesline talking to Elliot. By the annoyed look on his face and the way he seemed to be vehemently protesting at her amusement, he must have told her something that he didn't find half as funny as she did. I smiled at the sight-it was nice to see her smile and laugh again.

As I turned away from the window, I heard a gentle rapping on the door. "It's open, come on in," I called. The door opened and a faceless woman with ebony curls stepped into the room. I held back a shudder-seeing another completely featureless being was kind of unnerving. _How many people are like that here?_ I wondered. She bobbed a curtsy at me, which I returned shakily (it's been a while since I've curtsied properly, okay?) with one of my own. "Master Blood has asked me to inform you that you are to make your way down to help Alice with her chores," she said in a slight sing-song voice.

I nodded politely. "Thank you. Could you tell me how to get down to her?" I asked, jerking my thumb over my shoulder at the window from which Elliot's irritated protests could still be heard.

She smiled at me kindly. _It's still so weird that all they have is a mouth..._ "Take a right and walk to the end of the hall," she instructed. "On your first right, you will find a flight of stairs that lead down to a side door. That's the quickest way to where your friend is." Having delivered her message, she bobbed another curtsy and hurried out of the room. I pulled a fresh pair of stockings (yes, there actually were a few of those-why stockings and not my clothes?!) and relaced my boots before exiting the room and finding my way to the stairs and the doorway at the bottom.

By the time I had reached Alice, Elliot had already ventured off to to who-knows what. "That dress looks really good on you," Alice said with a smile as I approached. "You should wear stuff like that more often." She was pulling wet clothes out of the basket as she spoke and pinning them up on the clothesline.

"No way," I said firmly, snatching up a wet shirt. "The only reason I'm wearing this in the first place is because," I explained, holding my hand out to her for a clothespin, "the trousers I was provided were too small." Alice made a sound of sympathy as she handed me some pins, which I quickly used to hang up the large shirt. "Also, there was only one other dress in my bag, and there was no way I was wearing that." I leaned in confidentially and whispered "It was _pink_."

Alice rolled her eyes. "Oh, the horror," she gasped dramatically. "I'm sure you'll survive. We can go shopping later for some more 'suitable clothing'," she assured me, making quote marks around the last two words. I wrinkled my nose-shopping is yet another girlish thing that I am not fond of. Alice saw the expression on my face and quickly changed the subject. "Ron, why don't you sing for us while we work? You know, to make it go by faster."

I shook my head violently. "No way," I said nervously, my voice jumping up half an octave. "I haven't sung in a long time, it'd be weird." She raised an eyebrow at me meaningfully. I sighed. "Okay, okay, not since that picnic you and I had with Don before he-well, you know."

A strange look flashed across her face for a moment, but it was quickly replaced by a sheepish smile. "I've been trying to remember the words to that Welsh song you sang that day, but I'm not having much luck." She giggled. "I can't even remember how to pronounce the title right! Isn't it swo-gan or something like that? See-gen?"

It was my turn to laugh-she was pronouncing it completely wrong and I was sure she knew it. But then again, it had been a while since I had told her the title. It was understandable if she couldn't recall how I had said the title. "You mean Suo Gân," I told her, pronouncing it _*__seeah gahn*_. "You really want me to sing it again?"

"Of course!" she insisted. "I love those kinds of songs-they just sound so magical! I wouldn't hear them anywhere else if it weren't for you and Don," she continued. "You're the only people I know that sing those kinds of songs. Plus, you sing it so beautifully..."

"Okay, okay!" I cried, throwing up my hands in mock resignation. "I'll sing it for you!" She grinned triumphantly, revelling in her victory. "Don't get too excited, because you're going to have to sing it with me," I ordered. "And if you don't remember the words, just hum along." She nodded quickly in agreement, and after taking in a slow, deep breath, I began to sing the gentle lullaby. Alice hummed along with me, occasionally jumping in when she heard familiar-sounding parts.

_Huna blentyn ar fy mynwes  
__Clyd a chynnes ydyw hon;  
__Breichiau mam sy'n dynn amdanat,  
__Cariad mam sy dan fy mron;  
__Ni cha' dim amharu'th gyntun,  
__Ni wna undyn â thi gam;  
__Huna'n dawel, annwyl blentyn,  
__Huna'n fwyn ar fron dy fam._

There were two other verses to the song, but I hadn't taught her those and I wasn't about to teach her right then. As the verse drew to a close, Alice's voice grew quieter and quieter until I found myself singing the last line alone. There was a brief silence in which we both listened to the last note as it hung and reverberated in the air. After it had died away, Alice looked sadly into my face. "I've really missed hearing you sing, Veronica," she said sadly. "It's one of the things I've missed the most about home."

I could tell from her voice that she was trying not to let herself get choked up. I understood how she felt-I found myself trying to swallow around a lump that had lodged itself in my throat. Anger was simmering deep in my stomach, anger at this Peter White that had taken her from the things she loved in our world. I reached out and hugged her, trying to comfort her with only my arms. "I'll try to sing more often," I murmured, "so you won't miss home so much. And I promise, I will make sure that you get back home."

"Thanks, big sister," Alice whispered, her voice quavering a tiny bit more. We stood like that for a moment, silently comforting each other. When I finally released her she wiped away a tear that had managed to escape. She glanced at the basket on the ground, which was still full of sheets, and the dwindling number of clothespins. "You know what," she noted in a surprised voice, "I think we might need some more pins!" She looked back at me. "I'm going to run inside and see if I can find some, okay?"

I nodded. "Go right ahead," I told her. "I'll just take care of these sheets with the ones we have left." She nodded, then hurried off in the direction of the house. I turned back to the sheets and picked one up, running my fingers over the cloth. _It's obvious she's a little homesick for our world,_ I thought to myself, _but I can't help wondering something. What if, after spending enough time here, she doesn't want to go back?_ I looked back at Alice's retreating figure, the question I had asked myself turning into an uncomfortable knot in my stomach.

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*** *Author's Note: I have no idea how to pronounce Welsh, so I did a bit of digging to find the pronunciation for the title, and this was the easiest way I could interpret the IPA for it. As for the pronunciation of the lyrics, your guess is as good as mine. :/ If you actually do know how to pronounce it, I would be very grateful if you could message me the approximate phonetic pronunciation for it. Also, quick fun fact, for those of you who've watched Kuroshitsuji (Black Butler) II, this song is sung at the beginning of episode 12! :)**


	6. Author Insert

WARNING: THIS IS _NOT_ A CHAPTER, BUT IT IS STILL IMPORTANT-READ ON, IF YOU PLEASE.

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Hi, everybody, it's Iluna! :) Thanks a MILLION to the awesome readers I have out there, wherever you may be. I appreciate all the feedback you give me! You guys are awesome. ^^

Anyway, let's get down to business...I know I haven't updated "Change of Plans" in a while (I think in almost a month...), but there IS good reason for that. I've been a little swamped with school lately, so it cuts into writing/updating time. Also, I just got the rehearsal schedule for the musical I'm going to be in, and...*headdesk* Let's just say that March and April are going to MURDER me. I will have absolutely NO time to update in the next month or so. PLEASE FORGIVE ME! :(

I feel incredibly lame for not updating because I know that I'm keeping people waiting. I'm really sorry, but I'm serious-I have had practically _no_ time lately. :( Like I said, please forgive me! I will be trying to write in between classes at school, just so I can update faster when I _do _get some free time. :)

Ta!

Iluna Sorgina Talis


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